Ore-concentrator.



No. 679,869. Patented Au'g. 6, l90l.

A. H. STEBBINS. 0m; coucsmnuom (Application filed Aug. 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ALBERT I-I. STEBBINS, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,869, dated August 6, 1901.

Application filed August 6, 1900. Serial No. 26,026. (No model.)

larly to that type of such apparatus wherein the finely divided or comminuted ore is subjected to the action of air or fluid currents which separate the lighter from the heavier particles or values'and carry the former off as a waste product, while the latter are permitted to settle under the influence of gravity. In treating finely-divided ore it is desirable that the mass of particles as they are fed to the machine shall first be subjected to a strong blast to not only thoroughly separate the light from the heavy particles, but also, in a measure, to disintegrate any portion of the material that may cling together in mass or bulk and to thereafter so dispose the air or fluid currents that they shall move with constantlydecreasing force in a whirling or circuitous path to permit the complete separation of the light from the heavy particles and the final elimination of the former. It will sometimes happen in the treatment of such material that the heavy or valuable portions will have cling ing to them some of the lighter particles, which so increase the bulk of the heavy particles as to cause them to be carried some distance by the decreasing currents; but by giving such currents a whirling or circular motion and forming a substantially quiet or undisturbed zone above a zone of maximum force, as will be fully explained, the said particles are enabled to answer the call of gravity and to fall until suddenly arrested or deflected in said movement, thereby detaching the ad hering light particles, which are at once acted on by the air or fluid currents and eliminated. Thus the particles of material circulate in paths that first subject them to the action of the maximum strength of air or fluid currents as they are fed to the machine, byrwhich all but the heaviest portions are given a whirling or circuitous movement, and then in paths under the action of gradually-reduced currents that carry the material into a com paratively quiet or undisturbed zone, which permits the particles to fall and again enter the air or fluid currents of maximum strength to be again whirled through another cycle of such movements until the light particles are fully separated from the values and are carried off as a waste product.

In carrying out myinvention I have devised a chamber'of gradually-increasing cross-sectional area from the end or bottom to the top, and which I will hereinafter refer to as the separating-chamber, and introduce, preferablyinto the lower part of the chamber and some distance below the feed hopper or inlet, by which the finely-divided ore is fed to the machine, a strong blastof air, and in proximity to theinlet for such blastI devise means within the separating-chamber for producing a maximum strength of current to act upon the material as it falls to the lower part of the chamber and for producing above said means a comparatively quiet or undisturbed zone to permit the particles that enter the same to readily fall under the action of gravity to be again subjected to the action of the maximum currents. In the upper portion of the walls of the separating-chamber I form an outlet for the waste products, the said outlet preferably consisting of a pipe adjustable to projectmore or less within the said chamber.

With the above general outline of my invention the same will be more fully hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a like view of a slightlymodified form of the same, showing the airblast introduced through the bottomopening of the separating-chamber. Fig. 3 is a sectional view in detail of the lower portion of the separating-chamber at a right angle to Fig. 1, showing adj Listing-screws.

The separating-chamber A consists, preferably, of a lower body portion which gradually increases in cross-sectional area from the bottom to the top,and while the particular form of such body portion is not of the essence of the invention so long as it embraces the characteristic of gradually increasing in cross-sectional area from its bottom to its top, yet in the present embodiment of the invention the said body portion is shown as preferably consisting of an inverted cone A. Surmounting the inverted cone A is a cap or top A which may also be of any convenient or desired form, but is preferably of conical shape, as shown, and is preferably made detachable and held in place by any suitable means, such as the lugs or connectors a a, so that it may be replaced by another cap or top of desired shape to suit the material being treated.

The discharge or exit pipe at for the waste material passes .through the top or cap, being held air-tight in the bearings a so as to be readily adjustable to project more or less into the separating-chamber. Ordinarily the friction between the pipe and bearings 01. will be sufficient to maintain it in adjusted position; but, if desired, an ordinary set-screw a or other means may be employed to secure it in 2o position.

To the side of the conical body portion A of the separating-chamber is connected the feed-chute b, in which works some form of feed deviceas, for instance, a screw 6 mounted on a shaft b and operated by the pulley b or other device from any suitable source of power. Leading to the feed-chute b is the feed-hopper B, into which the finelydivided material is placed and from which it is fed by the screw b into, the separatingchamber A.

Mounted in the lower and contracted end of the conical separating-chamber Ais What I term an augmenting and distributing device C, which serves a threefold purpose-- to wit, to augment or increase the air or fluid currents around the lower portion of the sep arating-cham her at the point where the values seek to pass from the apparatus, to distribute the air or fluid currents to cause them to take a whirling or circuitous path around the interior of the separating-chamber near the walls thereof, and thereby form a zone in the center of the separating-chamber comparatively free of disturbing-currents, so that the finely-divided particles may no longer be held in suspension and be permitted to fall under the in fluenc'eofgr'avitygand toprovidea guide ordistributer for the falling particles to carry them again into the currents of maximum strength. Such augmenting and distributing device consists, preferably, of an upper and lower portions 0 c, conforming to the interior shape of the separating-chamber, and in the present instance it comprises two cones joined base to base and detachably held in the lower portion of the separating-chamber by the lugs or supports c 0 Since the shape of the lower portion of the augmenting and distributing device conforms to the shape of the interior of the lower part of the separating-chamber, it will be evident that space between the said device and walls of the chamber may be regulated by positioning the said device nearer to or farther from the bottom of the chamber by varying the size of the supporting-lugs c 0 or I may form said lugs as set-screws 0 projecting through the walls of the chamber, as shown in Fig. 3, and by varying the adjustment of said screws the augmenting and distributing device maybe positioned as required, dependent upon the character of material to be treated and the force of air or fluid currents desired.

Opening through the wall of the separatingchamber, adjacent the lower surface of the augmenting and distributing device 0, is an air or fluid inlet d, connected to any blastproducing device, as the fan D, Fig. 1. 1 Since the separating-chamber and augmenting and distributing device are contracted at their lower ends and since it is desirable that the air or fluid currents introduced and given a whirling or circuitous movement around the lower part of said device shall be practically a uniform maximum strength throughout the element or length of the lower part of the said augmenting and distributing device, I do not introduce the air or fluid currents through a circular inlet, but form the same oblong or egg shape, with thelarger part uppermost, thereby introducing the greatest quantity of air or fluid blast at the point of greatestsectional area between the said device and walls of the chamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

At the lower end of the separating-chamber in Fig. 1 is the outlet-opening E for the values or concentrates, having any suitable form of chute e.

g It will be noticed that the air or fluid inletin Fig. 1 is below the feeding device and through the side wall of the separating-chamber in position to direct the air or fluid currents onto the lower portion of the augmenting and distributing device in a manner to cause said currents to take a whirling or circuitous path, as shown by the arrows, and since the space between the lower portion. of the said device and the walls of the separating-chamber is reduced and contracted the force of the air or fluid currents will be correspondingly augmented and increased, and as the material fed to the chamber by the feeding device slides down the wall of the chamber it will be met by the circular or whirling air-currents and relieved of a part of the light waste material, until upon further descent of the said material it meets the maximum currents at the upper edge of the lower portion of the augmenting and distributing device, whereupon all except the values which are heavy enough to continue to fall against the lifting effect of-the maximum currents will be carried upward in a whirling path. As the currents decrease in force in the upper part of the separating-chamber and as the augmenting and distributing device forms a comparatively quiet or undisturbed zone in the center of the chamber, the particles in seeking the discharge-opening of the pipe at will enter said quiet zone, and if any heavy or valuable particles are present they will no longer be held in suspension, but will fall under the influence of gravity upon the top portion c of the augmenting and distributing device and be distributed around the same again into the maximum currents at the top of the lower portion a of said device, and if said particles have still clinging to them or if they are still mixed with impurities theirbulk will be sufficient to again cause them to be lifted and whirled through another cycle of movements, as before, until the separation is com plete and the light particles, which will still remain in suspension even in the quiet zone above the augmenting and distributing device, will be carried through the exit-pipe a. By projecting the exit-pipe a more or less into the separating-chamber the end of it can be placed well within the quiet zone of the chamber, so that only the light particles or waste products will be carried through the exit.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a slight modification .of the device in which the air or fluid ourrents are introduced through the bottom of the separating-chamber and are rendered of maximum force in the space between the walls of the separating-chamber and the augmenting and distributing device, substantially as indicated with reference to Fig. 1, though the whirling or circular action of the currents is not so great, being more nearly along the surface or elements of the aug menting and distributing device. When the currents are introduced as indicated in Fig. 2, the inlet or blast pipe F is curved at its lower portion and provided with perforations f, sufficiently separated so that all the settlings will not pass therethrough atonce; but those lodging on the perforated portion of the pipe will be blown back into the sepatributing device adjacent to said inlet for producing a maximum strength of current and distributing the same around the separatingchamber, and suitable outlets for the concentrates and waste products, the lower portion of said augmenting and distributing de vice against which the blast is directed conforming in shape to the adjacent walls of the separating-chamber to contract the blast between the two and thereby give -maximum strength to the air-currents throughout the said space between the said device and separating-chamber.

2. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a separating-chamber of gradually-increasing cross-sectional area from bottom to top, a

feeding device for feeding material into said its lower portion adjacent said air or fluid inlet conforming to the shape of theadjacent wall of said chamber to contract the space between them and on the conical surface of which the blast of air or fluid impinges as it enters the said chamber to be thereby increased in carrying capacity and suitable outlets for the values below the said device and a waste product discharged.

3. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a separating-chamber of gradually-increas augmenting and distributing device adjacent said air or fluid inlet the lower conical surface of which conforms in shape to the adjacent wall of the separating-chamber and onto which the blast of air or fluid directly impinges as it enters the said chamber to be thereby increased in carrying capacity throughout the space between the said device and chamber, means for adjusting said double conical augmenting and distributing device to vary the distance between it and the walls of the separating-chamber and suitable outlets for the values and waste products.

4. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a separating-chamber of increasing cross sectional area from its bottom toward its top, a feeding device for feeding material to said chamber, an air or fluid inlet below said feeding device in the side of said chamber, said inlet varying in size between its upper and lower portions, means for introducing a blast of air or fluid through said inlet, an augmenting and distributing device having a portion conforming in shape with the adjacent walls of the separating chamber and against which the blast ofair or fluid is directed, the said augmenting and distributing device having an upper portion to guide the falling particles into the currents of maximum strength between said device and the walls of the separating-chamber, and suitable outlets for the values and waste products.

5. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a separating-chamber, a feeding device for feeding material thereto, an air or fluid inlet in the side of said chamber, the said inlet being larger in its upper than in its lower portion, an augmenting and distributing device having a portion opposite said inlet conforming substantially with the shape of the adjacent walls of the separating-chamber, means for passing a blast of air or fluid through said inlet and suitable outlets for the values and waste material.

6. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a substantially conical separating-(sham her, a feeding device for feeding material into the upper part of said chamber; an air or fluid inlet in the side wall of the chamber below the feeding device, a double conical augmenting and distributing device supported in said chamber with its lowerconical surface opposite the air or fluid inlet conforming to the contour of the adjacent walls of the separating-chamber and forming a space between the walls of the chamber and throughout the 'area of said conical surface for currents of inlet in the side wall of the chamber below the-feeding device, a double conical augment= ring and distributing'device supportedin said @chamber with its lower conical surface oppoisite the air or fluid inlet conforming to the ;general contour of the adjacent walls of the Z separating-chamber and forming a space between the walls of the chamber and said congical surface for currents of maximum strength, means for adjusting said device with "relation to the walls of the separating-cham= Eber, an outlet for the values below the air or lfluidinlet, and an adjustable outlet for the waste material above the augmenting and dis- ;tribut-ing device and extended into the sepa- "rating-chamber.

, In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of ,two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT Hi STEBBINS;

Witnesses:

S. R; BROWN, 0. G. KAviANAUGH. 

